Exercise apparatus such as a treadmill

ABSTRACT

An improved exercise apparatus, such as a treadmill, which includes a pressure receiver, such as a padded plate or bar, which a treadmill user applies pressure against while using the treadmill. A pressure sensor and a display may be included which measures and indicates the amount of pressure applied, and/or the amount of deviation from a desired amount of pressure. Having the user apply pressure to the pressure receiver, additional muscle groups in the user&#39;s body are exercised. The treadmill belt may be either motorized or non-motorized, with the ability to allow the user to go either forward or backward thereon while still applying pressure to the pressure receiver. The speed of the belt, the resistance applied to the belt (if unmotorized), and the elevation angle of the belt may be adjusted to suit the user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exercise equipment generally, and, more specifically, to treadmill exercise equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Treadmills are the most popular method of exercise equipment used at home and in gyms, etc. A user of the treadmill adjusts the speed and, possibly, the direction of a belt on the treadmill to suit the user's desire for exertion. In addition, the user can adjust the inclination of the treadmill to further control the amount of exertion. However, treadmills generally provide exercise to only limited set of muscle groups located mostly in the user's legs.

One approach to increase the utility of the treadmill is adding moveable arms along the side of the treadmill to simulate cross-country skiing. The amount of force needed to deflect the arms and the length of the arms are adjustable to the needs of the user. This adaptation to the basic treadmill adds the ability to exercise the arm and shoulder muscles at the same time as the leg muscles.

Another approach, such as a treadmill named The Force and manufactured by Woodway of Waukesha, Wis., has a user wearing a harness (tether) strapped across the user's chest, the user having the ability to adjust the resistance of the treadmill's belt. No provision is made to measure the force exerted by the user on the harness. Because this arrangement restricts the selection of muscle groups in the user's torso for exercise and the amount of exercise applied the user's torso muscles is not measured, the user's torso muscles are not exercised properly if at all.

To date, there has not been a treadmill that allows for the selective exercise of muscles in a user's torso.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide for a treadmill that allows a user to select a muscle group in the user's lower back, abdominal, and gluteal regions. Further, it is desirable that a user be able to select the amount of exercise/exertion applied to the selected muscle groups.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects of the invention may be obtained generally with an exercise apparatus, such as a treadmill. In one exemplary embodiment, the treadmill has a belt for a user to tread thereon and a pressure-measuring device attached to the treadmill. The measuring device is adapted to receive pressure from a user while using the treadmill.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, a method of exercising includes treading on a belt on a treadmill while exerting pressure on a pressure receiver, and measuring the pressure exerted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood generally from the following figures, none of which is to scale:

FIG. 1 is a side-view of a treadmill adapted to include a pressure receiving apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary computerized control system for a treadmill according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a illustrative display panel for the treadmill of FIG. 1 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an exemplary embodiment of the pressure receiver and a pressure sensor for the treadmill of FIG. 1 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Here, a treadmill 10 having a base 11, a belt 12, and a pedestal 13 supported by vertical members 14. In the base 11 is a motor (not shown) that drives the belt 12 at a speed and, possibly, direction, controlled by a user (not shown). In addition, the base 11 may include a motorized mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering a portion of the base 11 such that the elevation angle or pitch of the belt 12 (and, possibly, base 11) is higher or lower, respectively, to change the level of exertion experienced by the user treading (walking or running) on the belt 12.

The speed/direction of belt 12 and the angle of the base 111 are typically controlled by a user though a control panel (not shown) located in pedestal 13. Pedestal 13 also provides support for the user as he/she uses the treadmill 10. Levers 15 may also be provided to give additional exercise to the user as he/she uses the treadmill 10.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention and described in more detail below in conjunction with FIG. 4, a pressure receiver 18 is provided that a user of treadmill 10 pushes against as he/she exercises. Preferably, pressure receiver 18, such as a padded plate or bar, is disposed in such a way that as a user exercises, the user's abdomen or chest presses against receiver 18 as the user walks on belt 12. Moreover, the receiver 18 is moveable so that the user can position the receiver 18 to a position comfortable to the user and/or where the user may then enable exercise of certain muscle groups, such as in the abdomen, back, and gluteal regions. Specifically, it is desirable for the height of the receiver 18 to be adjusted such that it is centered on the user's sternum (mid-chest). Further, the receiver 18 may be adapted to allow the user to hold the receiver 18, through the use of hand-holds or openings in the receiver 18, so that the user can apply force or pressure to the receiver 18 either by pushing or pulling thereon.

For purposes of this description, the terms “force” and “pressure” are used interchangeably.

While not shown, the receiver 18 may be mounted on something other than the treadmill 10, such as a wall (not shown) or a framework (not shown) which is in turn attached to a floor, wall, or to the treadmill 10.

To assist the user in his or her exercise, a pressure sensor (not shown) is added to the receiver 18. As will be explained in more detail below, the amount of asserted pressure is measured and may be displayed to the user so that the user can determine the amount of pressure applied or deviation in the amount of pressure from a predetermined amount of pressure. With this arrangement and the user applying an approximately constant pressure, muscles in the exemplary abdominal, back, and gluteal regions may then be exercised.

Turning to FIG. 2, an exemplary control system 20 for the treadmill 10 (FIG. 1) is illustrated. A computer system 21 (such as a microprocessor) receives inputs from the user and from the belt 12 (e.g., speed of the belt) and may optionally control an optional motor (not shown) driving the belt 12 (FIG. 1), elevation control motor (not shown) in base 11 (FIG. 1), and a display located in pedestal 13 (FIG. 1). Advantageously and in this embodiment of the invention, the computer system 21 receives signals from a pressure sensor attached to pressure receiver 18 (FIG. 1). While the computer 21 is not itself necessary and is not necessarily needed to control the speed of belt 11 and the elevation of base 11 (all of which can be adjusted manually), the computer system 21 can provide “programs” that provide a user a series of selectable workouts based on simulated terrains, such as rolling hills, steep assents/descents, etc., as desired by the user. The “programs” simulate the terrains by adjusting the angle of the base 11 and the speed of the belt 12. In addition, the measured pressure applied to receiver 18 may also be used as part of the simulation and exercise programs. In this case, the stored “program” in the computer system 21 has a series of desired or predetermined pressures that the user is expected to apply to receiver 18 during the course of a workout depending on the speed of the belt 12.

It is understood that a treadmill 10 with a non-motorized belt 12 will operate substantially the same way as a motorized version. Instead, in the unmotorized preferred embodiment, the belt 12 has adjustable tension or resistance applied thereto for speed control, which may be under the control computer system 21 or manually set. Deviation from the desired pressure (as, for example, as determined from the exercise “program” executed by computer system 21) may then be displayed to the user so that he/she can adjust their level of desired exertion. In addition, the elevation angle of the belt 12 should be no more than 15° in either direction (e.g. “uphill” or “downhill”.)

In FIG. 3, an exemplary display and control panel 30 is shown. This panel 30 is normally included in pedestal 13 (FIG. 1) for viewing by a user. Inputs from buttons 31 and keypad 32 control the operation of computer 21 and the treadmill 10 (FIG. 1). Aside from belt speed indication (SPEED), and angle of the base 11 (FIG. 1) (ANGLE), a display of the applied pressure (PRESSURE) is also given. In addition, should a desired pressure be applied, deviation from the desired pressure is indicated by optional arrows or by symbols “+” and “−” in display PRESSURE along with the amount of pressure or the amount of deviation from the desired pressure. Indications on the control panel 30 may be instantaneous readings or readings averaged over a predetermined time interval (e.g. 1 minute) by computer system 21 and updated every few seconds (e.g. 5 seconds.)

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary pressure receiver 18 including a pressure sensor 44. The receiver 18 is attached to a vertical member 41 via a coupler 42. Coupler 42 may be immovably affixed to vertical member 41 or has an adjustable feature to allow coupler 42 to be placed along member 41 to achieve a desired height of receiver 18. Further, a gymbal, rotary, or flexible coupler may be added between receiver 18 and coupler 42 to provide two or more degrees of motion to receiver 18 as desired by the user.

Vertical member 41 is coupled to a pressure sensor 44 via a coupling member 45. Similar to that described above, coupling member 45 may be immovably affixed to the vertical member 41 or has an adjustable feature to allow member 45 to be adjusted in length where attached to coupling member 45 to allow for adjustment in height of receiver 18 by the user.

Pressure sensor 44 has therein a conventional pressure transducer (not shown), such as a strain gauge, to measure the horizontal component of pressure exerted on member 45. Such pressure sensors are well known in the art and should be insensitive to any torque moment resulting from pressure applied by the user to receiver 18. As will be appreciated by someone skilled in the art, an alternative placement of a pressure sensor may be done where receiver 18 is attached to coupler 42. With this configuration, communication from the sensor to computer 21 (FIG. 2) is by wire, or preferably, wireless (RF) link. A skilled artisan may accomplish other configurations and designs for the receiver 18.

It is understood that the belt 12 may be bi-directional allowing the user to operate the treadmill 10 in reverse or “backward” with the user applying his/her back against the pressure receiver 18, the elevation or tilt may be in either “uphill” or “downhill” direction, as well as also allowing use of an exercise “program” in computer system 21. With such an arrangement, because the control panel 30 is now behind the user, an alternative or supplemental display may be desired (not shown). Alternatively, aural feedback indicating deviation from the desired pressure on receiver 18 and/or the speed of belt 12 could be indicated by a tone pitch or pulse rate. Preferably when the user is walking backward on the treadmill 10, the pressure receiver 18 is positioned against the rhomboid region of the user's back, such as between the shoulder blades of the user. With this arrangement and the user applying an approximately constant pressure, the exemplary quadriceps and lower back muscle groups may then be exercised.

Having described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will now be apparent to one of skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating its concept may be used. Therefore, this invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. An apparatus comprising: a treadmill having a belt for a user to tread thereon; and a pressure-measuring instrument attached to said treadmill; wherein said measuring instrument is adapted to receive pressure from a user while using said treadmill.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the belt has an adjustable speed controlled by the user.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the belt is non-motorized.
 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the belt is bi-directional.
 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising: display apparatus for indicating to the user the amount of pressure measured by the pressure-measuring instrument.
 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the display apparatus indicates the deviation of the measured pressure from a desired pressure.
 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the pressure-measuring instrument is adjustable in height from the belt.
 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the display apparatus indicates the deviation of the belt speed from a desired speed.
 9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the display apparatus provides visual and aural feedback to the user.
 10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the belt has adjustable elevation.
 11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the belt has adjustable resistance.
 12. An apparatus comprising: a treadmill having a belt for a user to tread thereon; pressure receiving means for receiving pressure applied by the user; and, measuring means for measuring the applied pressure.
 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 further comprising: display means to indicate the pressure applied.
 14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the display means indicates the amount of deviation of the applied pressure from a predetermined amount of pressure.
 15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the display means provides visual and aural feedback to the user.
 16. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the receiving means is adjustable in height from the belt.
 17. A method of exercising comprising the steps of: treading on a belt on a treadmill; exerting pressure on a pressure receiver measuring the pressure exerted on the pressure receiver; and indicating the pressure exerted on the receiver.
 18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of: indicating the deviation of the pressure exerted from a desired pressure.
 19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of: adjusting the belt to a desired elevation angle.
 20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of: adjusting resistance applied to the belt. 